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An easy fix for duffed chips

Published: 20 April 2018

Are duffed chips around the green costing you shots? Here's an easy fix...

Any golfer can become a bit twitchy around the greens – especially early in the season when we are out of practice. When this happens, it's only natural to become preoccupied with your strike. But in fact, pulling your attention away from the point of contact can reap dividends. Here's why... and what you can do about it.

➤ The Problem With Impact Focus

There is an unwritten law in golf that says that to gain control, you must first give it up. Impact is a prime example. We know it is the moment of truth in any golf shot, but it lasts only 0.004 of a second. When you try to control impact you are treating it more as a position to arrive at rather than a moment to move through. That destroys the natural rhythm and flow any good strike needs.

➤ Focus On Your Finish

As an antidote to this, pull your attention away from impact and on to your finish position. When you focus on hitting your finish, your action gains natural tempo and acceleration. The ball simply gets in the way of the clubhead. Ultimately, impact begins to take care of itself

➤ Touch Tight

The other key advantage of this focus is that the length of your follow through acts as an effective meter for how much energy you want to put into your strike. So use your practice swing to gauge the appropriate follow through length and then copy it on the shot itself. It'll give you your best chance of chipping the ball hole-high.